The Chicago Bears have designated offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood to return from injured reserve, the team announced.
Leatherwood returned to practice on Wednesday, opening a 21-day window for him to return from IR.
The Bears claimed Leatherwood off waivers from the Las Vegas Raiders back on Aug. 31. He landed on the reserve/non-football injury list on Sept. 14.
Leatherwood, a 2021 first-round pick, started all 17 games as a rookie, where he played at both right tackle and right guard.
Chicago is currently down left guard Cody Whitehair, who’s on IR with a knee injury. And there are plenty of questions about the state of the offensive line, especially with Justin Fields’ development being a focal point. Sam Mustipher has struggled at center; Lucas Patrick still hasn’t been moved to center (which he was brought in to play); and the team shouldn’t be married to one starting combination.
If Leatherwood returns, you have to wonder if the Bears would consider shifting things around. At some point, Patrick will be good to go at center, leaving a vacancy at guard. While Leatherwood is listed as a tackle, he’s played guard.
